Reece James could make his first start for Chelsea in over two months against Brentford in the Premier League this weekend. The Blues captain picked up an injury in training just a few days after the opening clash of the 2023/24 season against Liverpool with Mauricio Pochettino forced to play Malo Gusto in the position and offer up captain duties elsewhere.

Given James' previous injury issues, this is exactly why Gusto was signed by the west Londoners earlier this year from Lyon before being loaned back to the French club. In the absence of the 23-year-old, Gusto has performed well with two assists coming his way in the 3-0 win against Luton Town, however his spell in the starting XI was marred by a red card against Aston Villa in September.

As a result, for three games, both James and Gusto were absent with Marc Cucurella chosen as the latter's replacement. At surface level, the decision made minimal sense, although the Spain international was able to prove he is deserving of a spot in the starting XI with Pochettino deploying him at left-back against Arsenal after three games on the opposite flank.

Gusto came straight back into the team for last weekend's London derby, but he could be set for an immediate return to the sidelines with James having been back in full team training for over a week which allowed him to appear off the bench against the Gunners for six minutes plus added time.

Another week under his belt at Cobham could mean a start is on the cards with the latest clip from this week's training showing James in action and looking very sharp. As part of a small-sided game, posted on Chelsea's official TikTok account, James is seen on numerous occasions dictating the play while pulling out a number of impressive passes that led directly to goals being scored.

One moment includes a superb switch of play to Noni Madueke with the England international shown just a few seconds later threading a ball into the path of what looks to be Deivid Washington to score. Albeit a brief reminder of what he can do, Chelsea fans were left in awe of their captain making things look so simple with @FelixJohnston writing on X (formerly Twitter): "Literally just a training drill but Reece James is moving me."

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@TrevorMMA2234 added: "He's the best RB in the world, every time he plays." A bold suggestion to incorporate James and Gusto was also made by @Salayisaidso: "Hear me out, midfield 3 he replaces Gallagher so Gusto can play." While the latter seems an unlikely thing for Pochettino to do given how much he values Gallagher it will certainly be interesting to see how incorporates the return of James.

Another injury return Pochettino will be eagerly awaiting is that of Christopher Nkunku who is yet to play a competitive game for the Blues after picking up an injury in pre-season. The Frenchman has posted regular updates of his recovery in the gym which shows him building strength back up in his knee, and the latest update has come as a wonderful sight for Chelsea fans.

On Thursday, Nkunku was seen in full Chelsea training gear as the squad took photos with some supporters visiting Cobham. While a return to being part of the sessions at the club's training ground is still some way off, it was still a lovely thing to see as Nkunku begins to step up his rehabilitation in the hopes of making it back before the end of the year.